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Mahonri Young and the Church: a View of Mormonism and Art

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Mahonri Young and the Church: a View of Mormonism and Art MAHONRI YOUNG AND THE CHURCH: A VIEW OF MORMONISM AND ART WAYNE K. HINTON -I I Mahonri Young was perhaps Mormonism's most noted artist in the first half of the twentieth century. Highly individualistic and creative, he produced much of the famous sculpture that is most highly revered by Mormons today, in- cluding the magnificent statue of his grandfather, Brigham Young, which now stands in the rotunda of the national capitol in Washington D.C. At the same time, Young was not particularly active in the Church and found himself distressed by certain policies and restrictions which, he felt, affected not only his art but the general cultural heritage of the Mormon people. The following article is an attempt to present with understanding the perspective of one artist who tried to preserve the Mormon heritage as he understood it. 35 36 I Dialogue "Mahonri Young belongs among . those who are of the strain of Michelangelo, Titian, Rubens, Goya, Renoir and Millet. I say at once that he is a rare sculptor in America and one of that little band that is putting life and vitality into an empty shell which has been made so long to represent American sculpture." — Guy Pene Dubois So much of Utah's early history has religious significance that the artist attempting to preserve its heritage has often found himself interpreting people and events of some concern to the Mormon Church. To the truly creative artist, dealing with a vested interest group such as a church in interpreting history and life through art can be frustrating. Mutual cooperation can lead to great artistic achievements which otherwise would go uncreated for lack of interest and funding. An artist of the first half of the twentieth century who worked intimately with the Mormon Church in attempting to interpret Mormon history was Mahonri Mackintosh Young. During a career which spanned some fifty years, Young won several national and international awards as a sculptor and etcher, presented numerous retrospective exhibitions, and was elected to prestigious national societies. Young's works are on display in the nation's most illustrious galleries. In a 1912 review entitled "The Bronzes of Mahonri Young," J. Lester Lewine gave the following estimation of his artistry: His work was distinguished by nobility and breadth of conception. It often displayed a close and conscientious observation of nature and evidenced a predilection for virile form and "plastic lines" of great beauty and power. Critics praised him for creating "complete works of art," works which few artists were capable of matching in so far as being "significant and telling." He was also noted as a very versatile artist with wide sympathy which responded to much in nature and the human condition.1 Although Utah-born and raised and a grandson of Brigham Young, Mahonri did not create Mormon art from religious motivation. He dropped out of Church activity as a teenager and as an adult did not observe the Word of Wisdom, attend church, or contribute financially to the Church. He confessed that religion left him hollow,2 even though he did admire some Church leaders and did identify with the Utah pioneer heritage. His lack of commitment to Mormonism did not, however, retard his sometimes strenuous efforts to gain art commissions from the Church. His first Church-sponsored project was the statue of Joseph Smith, Jr., which, along with that of Hyrum Smith, now stands on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. This commission presented a challenge which would not only demonstrate Young's creative talent, but would also symbolize the frustrations often faced by artists as they confront the necessity of earning a livelihood and the disconcerting dilemma of having their creative work closely supervised by non-artists who hold the purse strings. A plaster cast of Joseph Smith's face, made shortly after his death, was deposited with Young by the First Presidency of the Church, to be used in preparing a clay bust.3 He soon completed "a very good likeness,"4 which he hoped would earn him the commission for the full statue. Since he was in need Mahonri Young and the Church I 37 of work and was soon to marry, he was very anxious to secure the commission of $4,800.5 The Church, however, felt compelled to be cautious with its limited funds. The general authorities eventually authorized President Joseph F. Smith to contract with the artist to construct a cast. Because Young desired modified terms from those initially offered, the negotiations took what seemed to him an interminable time, but "in his greatest hour of need," President Smith finally commissioned him to do the life-sized cast of Joseph under a contract providing him with $150 a month for a twelve month period.6 The casting was done under what the artist felt were "adverse circum- stances."7 Due to the absence of a suitable studio, he modeled the cast in his dining room. He also maintained that the clay, plaster, and casters available in Utah were totally unsatisfactory.8 After all this, Church authorities did not like the cast and insisted on alterations before it could be bronzed. In sheer desperation, Young offered to construct a new cast at no expense to the Church if the Church in turn would give him a contract for a $4,500 companion piece of Joseph's brother, Hyrum. He also suggested that he should complete the figures in a city where facilities were more convenient and better suited for productive work.9 Church leaders granted approval for the two statues but were unyielding in their insistence that the figures be modeled in Salt Lake City where the work could be closely scrutinized. As an alternative, he was allowed to use the Social Hall, which proved an adequate studio after being equipped with a skylight. It was large and comfortable and-close to the Church offices so that President Smith could readily confer with the artist and help assure that the works would be approved.10 This first collaboration between the Church and Mahonri Young proved fruitful. The artist was somewhat frustrated when he could not be free from restrictions on his work, but his financial need made him anxious to cooperate. Church officials were satisfied with the statues. In fact, both sides seemed so pleased that Young found himself enthusiastically planning for another Church- sponsored commission. His attitude seemed to reflect the idea that the Church should become his patron. A request from George Carpenter for sea gull drawings for the 1907 Christmas edition of the Deseret News inspired Mahonri's design for another work of importance to the Mormon heritage, the Sea Gull Monument. His idea was enthusiastically received, but no money was immediately available.11 He assumed, however, that when he completed the Smith statues a contract might be granted. When the statues were finished he requested a commission, but the Church was in the midst of building the Hotel Utah and felt it could not support Young's project. His disappointment was severe, since he maintained he had declined other major works in order to devote his full attention to the monu- ment.12 Failing to secure the Sea Gull commission, Young turned his energies toward winning the contract for a frieze design to go above the main entrance of the L.D.S. Gymnasium. Since the subject matter of this project, an athletic field day, was not as intimately related to the Church as the Joseph Smith statue, the work was not scrutinized or overseen so rigorously. Again, however, the artist suffered distress as he was prevented from completing the work to his 38 I Dialogue own specifications. He worked leisurely, believing that an artist could be forgiven for being late with his sculpture, but not for bad work. His uncle, Willard Young, head of the school, felt he had been given ample time to finish. He therefore had the scaffold removed without consulting Mahonri — before he had completed one of the figures to his own satisfaction.13 This was Young's last commission in Utah before leaving to seek greater opportunity in New York City. The failure to secure the Sea Gull Monument contract, the removal of the scaffold, and the belief that he was underpaid at $2,000 for the frieze were contributing factors in his resolve to leave Utah to escape the "worry, struggle and discouragement" he believed he had suffered.14 He spent the next two years trying to establish himself in New York. After a period of further discouragement he believed that he had reached a turning point in his career. He was becoming known and was beginning to see a brighter future if he could only earn a commission large enough to keep him going. The next year would be critical; if he could not demonstrate that he could be success- ful in the artistic world, he would have to give up his art and devote his attention to supporting his family from other sources. His belief that, "If a person has it in him to be an artist he will be, regardless of poverty, discouragements, fail- ures, or the unreasonable desires of others who think it their duty to direct the universe,"15 was being severely tested. Mahonri Young and the Church / 39 Again in desperation he turned to the Mormon Church. The Sea Gull Monument would carry him through, and he now almost pleaded for it, telling Charles W. Nibley that the work "means everything to me."16 It was his hope that he would be advanced a monthly sum of $200 to live on while working on the bronze, so that he would have ample time to complete the work according to his satisfaction.
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